Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-05-15

what a gang!n cried one Of the men.


ga half hour longer will show what's to
become of us!" grosned Malerson. "We
might about as well be dead as tied up
here, a sufferin' this way! Nothing to
drink-not even chaw of tobacco!"
"My top-knot begins to feel uneasy,
Cap'n-I'm wofully afeared those yelping
fiends will want our hair!" said the man
nearest to Malerson.
81 shouldn't WONDER" said the latter,
with sympathetic sigh.
The immense body of Comanches
were now in full view, tearing along over
horses Riding foremost of all came
to her, Ada McAlpin-probably deeming
it her safest position-kept close by
his side. He rode up to the spot where
Malerson and his men lay huddled up in
heap, and grim smile of satisfaction
fitted over his face as he saw their situa-
ton.
"Ugh Get drunk and 60 to sleep
another time, eh?' he muttered.
"Good Mr.. Lagona, tell your braves
not to kill and scalp u.s." said Malerson,
trembling for his life, as the feroeious
braves of the tribe dashed up in their
war paint.
"They've better work than to scalp
squaws, before them!" said Lagona, con-
temptuously, then, turning to Ada, he
said:
''My sister has travelled with Lsgona
long enough-she will stay with her own
braves now, and take care OF them. They
are children and want q mother?'
Having so spoken, and that in tone
and with a look that admitted of no re-
ply, the Comanche chief waved his men
onward, and soon the yelling warriors
were again seen securing over the
prairie on the trail of the rangers-their
horses refreshened with water from the
stream Just crossed.
"For Heavens sake do dismount, Miss
Ada, and cut US loose!" cried Malerson;
"we are almost dead!"
Ada did as ne desired, and soon the
band were all free. But they had been
so harshly bound and confined in one po-
sition so long that at first they could
scarcely move. But the Captain hurried
to overhaul the few stores that were left,
and to his infinite Joy found bottle of
rum left, which he lessened in quantity as
hastily as he could.
The party were now in truly pitiable
condition. They were far from the set
tlement, their horses not fit for travel,
their provisions almost gone, in the re-
gion where the Indians were all hostile to
the whites, and had thus far been re-
strained from Staying them only by the
influence of single chief, who might be
killed when the rangers were overtaken;
and all of their arms and ammunition had
been taken away from them by the ran
gers. Only Ada was in situation to de
fend herself-she only had arms.
"What shall we do now, Miss Ada?"
asked MalersCn, as soon as he felt little
comforted with his bottle consoler.
"Get back 10 a civilized region, where
we can do better than we have done,"
said Ada, promptly. "Men," she said,
addressing the band, "you have suffered
peril and inconvenience in my service,
but you shall be rewarded. You elected
me your queen, and you shall not regret
it. In my wish to carry out my private
designs I shall not forget your interests.
As soon as our horses are rested and fed
we will make a sweep into some of the
rich Mexican towns on the Rio Grande
and relieve them Of their superfiuous
wealth"
This speech of their lately condemned
leader was received with loud cheers by
the men; and their sour looks changed as
suddenly as April weather, from clouds
into sunshine.
CHAPTER XLyI.
The spirits of the rangers rather rose
when they bounded away on their fresh
horses, and the gallant Major hoped to
get so good a start that by travelling all
night he might be able yet to escape the
immense force that was behind him. Yet,
knowing the tireless nature of the Co.
manche horse and rider, which, when
forced, will neither stop for miles nor
hours, he knew that he and those with
him must keep unfaggingly on until they
reached the Settlements-that if they
halted to rest, even for two or three
hours, the sleepless foe would be upon
them.
For little while their spirits rose
but soon they saw the long, dusky line Of
their foes break out from the range of
timber which they had recently left, And
then many q glance was thrown back
from timeIto time by the Major, who tried
to discover whether the enemy gained or
if his party held their own. For hours
thus they rode on, and the keen eyed ran
ger saw that, as the long-used and severe
ly-tried horses of his troop began to flag,
the Indians were steadily and surely gain
ing upon him. Observing small island
or patch of timber in the prairie, some
miles ahead, he ordered his men
to push their horses to their ut
most speed, determining there to make a
stand-his only chance, indeed, against
such host as followed him; for under
cover of the trees each of his well-armed
men was good for at least a dozen In.
dians.
1t was nearly dark, the sun was just
sinking behind black and sWift-rising
storm-cloud in the west, and the Indians
were gaining very rapidly.
"Do you think we can reach the timber
before they overtake us?" asked Mr..
Delorme, looking anxiously back and
shuddering, for the wild yells of the
fierce and exultant Indians, who believed
that the rangers were in their power,
could be plainly heard.
"As much as ever, but 1 hope So" said
the Ranger.
GLOW like fends they Yell" said
Stella, looking back with an anxious eye.
"Let our six-shooters open on 'em
once and they'll yell to better purpose"
said the ranger, bitterly.
The race was now fearfully exciting.
One-half mile more and the rangers
would reach cOver-not q quarter of